Catalog: Archives (589)

A dramatic pair of large trays　decorated with silver characters for sun and moon on dynamic black and red surfaces. Each comes in the original wooden box made by craftsmen at the Yabashi Studio in Gifu prefecture. They are 47 cm square and in fine condition.

A large and elegant Wa-gumi basket by Yufu Shohaku signed on the base made up of alternating strips of finely braided bamboo rope and bands of raw bamboo. This is a dramatic work measuring 22 x 20 x 14 inches (56 x 50 x 35 cm).
Yufu Shohaku (b. 1941) is a second-generation bamboo artist from Beppu, the son of Yufu Chikuryu, putting him in the lineage of Sato Chikuyusai. Shohaku began making bamboo baskets in elementary school and achieved mastery by middle school. With his father, he created many styles of flower baskets that made Beppu famous. Today he is known for traditional Beppu rough-plaited baskets that blend plant roots and bamboo chunks. An independent artist, he is the leader of the local bamboo art association and the recipient of numerous prizes including Chairman’s Prize at All Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1985 and has been named a holder of intangible cultural skill (Dento Kogeishi). His works have been exhibited many times in the United States and England and he is held in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Museum.

Sakura blossoms begin to open among the draping branches of a weeping willow soughing in the breeze on this beautiful lacquer box by Inami Kirokusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Wajima Nuri Soshun Maki-e Suzuri Bako (Ink Stone Box of Early Spring Design from Wajima). The design is performed over highly polished black, the interior in nashiji with pine saplings in raised design around the ink stone and water dropper. It is 24.5 x 13 x 3 cm (10 x 5 x 1-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition.
The four generations of the Inami family spanning the Meiji to contemporary were the subject of a major retrospective at the Ishikawa Wajima Lacquer Museum in 2013.

14 images spanning two pages each are sandwiched between the silk binding of this two sided accordion album by Zen Priest Inaba Shinden enclosed in the original storage sleeve. The images span from Mount fuji to the Daruma to Zen Circles, each annotated with some verse or Buddhist anecdote. It is in excellent condition, the album (closed) measuring 8-1/4 x 12 inches (21 x 30 cm).
Inaba Shinden (1906-1986) was an important priest of the Rinzai sect of Japanese Buddhism. Born in Aichi, he began his studies under Yamazaki Taiko at the age of 14, then later moved under Seki Seisetsu. After nearly 25 years as head priest for a Subtemple of Tenryuji in Kyoto, he became the head priest of Kokutaiji Temple at the age of 58. For more on this artist see Zenmi—a Taste of Zen: Paintings, Calligraphy, and Ceramics from the Riva Lee Asbell Collection.

A lovely hollowed out root forming a basket; an anonymous 20th century work of Mingei art. It is roughly 18 x 13 x 10 inches (45 x 33 x 25 cm) and in fine condition.

A superb bronze vase with silver plate design enclosed in the original wooden box and stamped on the base by the artsit. The vessel is 11-1/2 inches (30 cm) tall and in excellent condition

An anonymous basket of both red and white soot-stained bamboo (susu-dake) with a root-wood handle, the various textures and colors gleaming with sheer elegance. It is 18 inches (45 cm) tall and in excellent condition, containing a black lacquered bamboo otoshi container lined with copper.

A published set of 10 Zen Scrolls by Jikihara Gyokusei and Shibayama Zenkei showing the 10 stages of enlightenment through the parable of the bull and the ox-herd. Ink on paper in blue silk border with wood rollers. Each scroll measures 44 x 188.5 cm and all are in fine condition but for a few tiny holes in the top of one border (see close-up). The scrolls were photographed in the order taken from the box, and are not necessarily in the correct order in the composite photos. This set of scrolls is the subject of the 1974 book Zen Oxherding Pictures by Zenkei and Gyokusei, and each is published in the text followed by a discussion of the imagery, in both English and Japanese.
The Ten Ox Herding Pictures are inspired from the Chinese Zen Master Kuan Shiyuan in the 12th century to illustrate the stages of enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism as illustrated in the original Avatamsaka Sutra. The pictures tell the story of an Ox herder (an ordinary person) who must go in search of his lost charge (the true self, the Buddha Nature). Wandering through the wilderness he searches until finally finding its tracks, he follows, captures, then must tame the beast through discipline. Following is realization and the two become one and return home. Then transcend their own self-imposed boundaries and perceptions. All is overcome and the practitioner reaches enlightenment and can return to society where his image inspires others.
A similar pair by Gyokusei reside in the Zen Mountain Monastery of New York. Zenkei and Gyokusei also co-authored a book on the Zen Oxherding pictures in 1967. Another thing special about these is they show the friendship between Zenkei and Gyokusei, and it is through the chance meeting of Zenkei and Michael Hoffman, the prominent American ink painter, at the Zen center in Los Angeles, that Zenkei introduced him to Gyokusei, who would become Michaels life-long Mentor.
Shibayama Zenkei (1894¡ª1974), a former Abbot of Nanzenji and was a Rinzai master well-known for his commentary on the Mumonkan. One of his better-known students is Fukushima Keido former abbot of Tofukuji. Shibayama also taught at Otani University and was the head abbot of the entire Nanzenji Organization, overseeing the administration of over five hundred temples. Due to a number of lecture tours he undertook to the United States in the 1960s, and the translation of several of his books into English, Shibayama was a significant contributor to the establishment of Zen in America
Jikihara Gyokusei (1904-2005) was born in Okayama prefecture, and graduated the Osaka Municipal School of Art where he had studied under Yano Kyoson. He was accepted into the Nanga-In TenNational Nanga Exhibition in 1930. Subsequently his fame as an artist grew, exhibiting at the Teiten and subsequent Nitten National Exhibitions as well, however his yearning for something more grew as well.¡¹In 1956 he entered Nanzenji to study under Shibayama and a lifelong friendship was born. As an artist he received many awards throughout his career and was honored with the Hyogo Prefectural Cultural Citation. He also became the head of his own Zen Temple and helped to further the teaching of Zen in Japan and in America.

A serene image of the Goddess of Mercy Kannon found in a natural black stone from the Seta River inset into a hand carved hard-wood base and enclosed in a kiri-wood collectors box titled simply Setagawa-ishi (Seta River Stone). 19.5 cm (7-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

An iron vase intentional rust and damascened silver of a Flat-fish on one side, the other au-natural by Sano Hiroshi exhibited at the 48th Kofukai Tenrankai Exhibition in 1962 and enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karai (flat-fish). It is 53.5 cm (21 inches) wide, 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall and in fine condition.
Sano Hiroshi was born in Jūshiyama, Aichi prefecture in 1930, and graduated the Nagoya Municipal School of Crafts in 1950. That year he joined the Ando Shippo Cloisonné studio. Three years later he would begin expanding his knowledge of metal craft under Sekiya Shiro while remaining employed by Ando, where he would remain until 1967. He became a member of the Kofukai in 1961 and would consistently exhibit there and be recipient of many awards. Shortly thereafter he began also to exhibit with the Nitten National Exhibition, garnering several awards and mentions there. In 1967 he established a center for the study of crafts and his art became ever more eccentric, delving deeply into form over purpose. A master in both metal craft and cloisonné, he would also be awarded at the Nihon Shinkogeiten (New Crafts Exhibition). He has been the subject of several documentaries in Japan (1978, 1983, 1988). For his contribution to the art world he was granted the Order of Cultural Merit from Aichi prefecture in 1982 with the note: While learning the techniques of metal engraving and forging, while observing the sense of modeling, he won the special prize of the metalwork department for the first time in this region at the 10th Nitten. He also served as a guide for the younger generation, sending young artists to the world. He has contributed to the promotion and improvement of the arts and culture of this prefecture by establishing traditional metalworking techniques in this region, and is expected to continue to play an active role in the future.

A modernist sculpture in bronze on a wooden base by pioneering female artist Katsura Yuki (also Yukiko 1913-1991). The humorous figure is reminiscent of the works of Okamoto Taro and Akutagawa Saori, another pioneering female artist from Japan who lived in New York around the same time as Yuki. The image is 10 inches (26 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Katsura Yuki (1913-1991) was a Japanese artist whose career spanned from the prewar to the postwar eras. She was enrolled in a girl’s school in 1926, during which time she studied traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga) under Ikegami Shuho. However, after graduation she moved into oil painting. Still, dissatisfied with academic modes of painterly study, she began to attend the Avant-garde Western Painting Research Institute led by Seiji Togo and Tsuguharu Foujita from 1933. She held her first solo exhibition in the Ginza district of Tokyo in 1935, with a focus on collage and abstraction and characterization. This was an extreme rarity for a female artist at the time. She fell in with the Nikakai in 1938, where she would interact with post-war giants Takeo Yamaguchi and Yoshihara Jiro. Post-war, She worked as an illustrator while continuing along the narrative path her art had taken. After sojourns in Europe and Africa, she moved to New York in 1958. In 1966 after returning to Japan, Katsura received the Highest Award at the “7th Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition. During her six-decade career, Katsura did not conform to one particular artistic genre or style, instead employing a variety of approaches including painting, mixed media collage, and caricature to depict a range of subjects using folkloric allegory, religious iconography, realism, and experiments into abstraction. Constantly paving the path towards a new means of expression through employing techniques of collage. Katsura engaged with subjects that responded to critical socio-political events in mid-century Japan, such as societal expectations for Japanese women, the militarization of Japan, the post-war occupation, the rise of nuclear power, and gender equality. Her diverse approaches, engagement with critical issues, and adherence to personal autonomy gained her critical acclaim; she has been called a "pioneer among women artists,"and is considered influential to the genesis of the Japanese avant-garde before and after the Asia Pacific War. Work by her is held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, The Ohara Museum of Art, The Itabashi Art Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the Yokohama Museum of Art among others.

Sculptured black pines rise from the misty forest floor, yellow sky fading beyond; a brilliant modernist rendition of this traditional theme by Yamauchi Issei (b. 1929). The entire scene is performed with colored paper, applied directly or wetted and applied as pulp. Fantastical shapes seem to dance across the two panel canvas. Gold strips applied in the upper branches are sunlight’s last rays reflecting off the needles, the yellow sky implicating late summer dusk. Saved from the harshness of day, the forest floor is cool, and gray waves seem to lap at the shore beyond. The screen features a rare shunkei-nuri red lacquer wooden frame, and is backed with handmade paper. It is 61 by 61 inches open (155 x 155 cm), and in fine condition. The paper artist Issei works from his studio in Aichi prefecture, his works have been presented at any number of exhibitions, both domestically and nationally, including the Nitten.

An extremely fine bronze Koro in the form of a mythical Kirin by Living National Treasure Katori Masahiko (1899-1988). Masahiko, a graduate of Tokyo National University of Art, went on to an illustrious career. Unlike his colleagues, he produced very limited numbers of his pieces, often only one. As this piece is not numbered, I believe it also is a one of a kind. It has a rich, green patina that lends age to the work, actually most likely no more than 30 years old. It is 8 inches (20cm) long by 7 inches (18cm) tall. Price includes shipping.

A silver inlayed bronze incense burner by Inami Keishu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) tall and in fine condition. Inami Keishu worked in metal for more than 60 years. He has been often exhibited and prized with the Nihon Kogei Kai (National Crafts Association) among many other National Events.

A Fine bronze by the modern master of the Japanese bronze tradition, world renowned Hasuda Shugoro, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The modern form is belted in geometric patterns with a mottled olive and red patination, signed on the base Shu. It is 6 x 7 x 9-1/2 inches (17 x 15.5 x 23.5 cm) and weighs approximately 5.5 kg (12 lbs) in excellent condition.
Hasuda Shugoro was born in Kanazawa City in 1915. After graduating the Ishikawa Prefectural Industrial School he moved to the Tokyo School of Art. Much lauded his first award was at the 5th Nitten in 1949 and he received the Hokuto-sho there in 1953 among many further prizes. He participated in the founding of the Creative Crafts Association in 1961 and founded the Japan Metal Sculpture Institute in 1976. Decorated with the Order of Cultural Merit in 1991, Hasuda Shugoro stands as one of the leading modernist artists working in bronze during the Post-War Period. A vase by the artist sold at Christies in 2012 for 2,500 pounds (roughly 4,000 dollars). For more on this artist see Hasuda Shugoro Kinzoku Zokei (1981).

The character Kotobuki followed by a playful verse crying Watashiya kyujukyu made (Longevity, I live to 99). Ink on paper enclosed in a subtle cloth border befitting Zen art. It is stamped Taishitsu (his art name) and enclosed in the original signed wooden box with the same inscription on the lid. The scroll measures 10 by 73 inches (26.5 x 185 cm). There is some cupping in the scroll, otherwise in fine condition. Mumon (1900-1988) studied law in his youth, but was converted to the life of Buddhism by a statement of Confucian theory which says, rather than become a lawyer, create a world where there is no need for courts. After taking the tonsure, he initially studied under Kawaguchi Ekai, the first Japanese Zen priest to visit Tibet. However after several years in isolation battling tuberculosis, he emerged to receive his certificate of enlightenment from Seisetsu Genjo, and went on to head a number of prominent Zen temples. Later in life Mumon traveled the world, working hard to spread to light of Rinzai Zen.

White Robed Kannon by Zen Wako (also Chon Fua Fan/Chow Wha Whang), Oil on panel, 22 x 27,5 cm (9 x 11 inches) in the original frame.
Zen Wako was born in Pyongan (modern day North Korea) in 1909, while that country was under Japanese Influence, and one year before it was officially annexed by Japan. He was first recognized in 1929 when his work was accepted into the Korean national Art Exhibition. In 1933 he came under the influence of Nishida Tenko (1872-1968), a spiritual figure in Japan who founded the Ittoen (Garden of One Light) Society. He began studies under Suda Kunitaro in 1945, and came to exhibit with the Kohdo Art Organization, taking top prize there in 1948. He would help to establish an art organization for Korean peoples living in Japan (Zai Nichi Chossen Bijutsukai) in 1953, and would serve as head of the Kansai area branch. His work would be exhibited in Europe, Japan and Korea. It currently is held in the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwangju Museum of Art, and a Painting of Kannon in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. He died in 1994. Unfortunately, due to the lack of consensus on how to spell Korean names in English, his name can be written Chon Fua Fan or Chow Wha Whang or any combination thereof.

Exceptional rendering of the character Moon by one of Zens most important 20th century leaders Yamada Mumon. The ink on paper image is framed in patterned copper silk and features black lacquer wooden rollers. Some faint staining, the scroll measures 17-1/2 x 59 inches (44 x 150 cm) and is in excellent condition, enclosed in a kiri-wood box. Mumon (1900-1988) studied law in his youth, but was converted to the life of Buddhism by a statement of Confucian theory which says, rather than become a lawyer, create a world where there is no need for courts. After taking the tonsure, he initially studied under Kawaguchi Ekai, the first Japanese Zen priest to visit Tibet. However after several years in isolation battling tuberculosis, he emerged to receive his certificate of enlightenment from Seisetsu Genjo, and went on to head a number of prominent Zen temples.